You’re about to get a glimpse of the future of the Toronto Blue Jays. Except JP Arencibia. He hasn’t started since September 1st, so why start now?

Anyway, the centerpiece of the Roy Halladay trade is making his Major League debut tonight against the Orioles. In New Hampshire this year, Drabek is 14-9 with a 2.94 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP and 7.3 K/9 in 162 IP. That includes a no hitter a few months ago.

Drool.

FanGraphs has a nice write-up on Drabek, including an excerpt from Kieth Law’s article on Young Guns. In the end, who knows what we could get tonight. It could be a stunning introduction to Toronto’s next number one or a forgettable, painful, beginning to a not-so-special career. My bet is closer to the first one.

Drabek has all the stuff to lead to a very good major league career – possibly even ace status. A mid-90s fastball (reaching as high as 97) combined with a versatile power curve and a changeup in-the-works could produce an overpowering number one.

The kid is down for 3 starts to finish this season with Toronto, giving him about 20 total more innings, which is definitely work-able. This is a nice solid introduction but not enough to totally destroy him. Drabek is a few years off a Tommy John surgery that, one could argue, even improved his game. Expect him to thrown about 85 to 90 pitches tonight.

The game is going to be on Sportsnet One, which means absolutely nothing to me but to my friends North of the Border, that sucks! Be sure to check my Twitter. If I can find it online somewhere, I’ll be sure to post it.

NEXT ON THE DOCKET…

Toronto Blue Jays at Baltimore Orioles

September 15, 2010, 7:05 PM

Wise, RF

#YuniBomber, SS

#TheJose, 3B

#VDubs, CF

Overbay, 1B

Hill, 2B

Lind, DH

#Buuuuck, C

#GBPWH, LF

By the way, we’re forgetting last nights game. Waste of my time to watch it so why would I write about it? Go Jays.

If you follow me on twitter (which you should: JaysSOTB), I’ve said that a few times, already. Does that really surprise anyone, though?

The most frustrating part of this was the circumstances. You’re tied 3-3, going into the bottom of the 11th. Brian Tallet,almost certainly the Jays worst reliever, has already pitched two scoreless (although, tense) innings of relief.

So, can someone please explain to me what he was doing coming back out? Another shining example of Cito’s managerial skills. Or not.

Of course, Tallet gives up the winning run as the Orioles walk off. But it just didn’t make any sense to me? Where was everyone else? You’ve got a bullpen chock-full of young arms and you decide to test the waters of Brian Tallet, again?

If it was up to me, Tallet would be in Vegas. Or somewhere else. I really don’t care, as long as hes not in Toronto. But, this man-crush that Cito has is getting a little old. Maybe Cito should take a trip to Vegas. It’s the first rule in gambling (which I would say that pitching Brian Tallet is, regardless of the situation, let alone for 3 innings)…

Quit while you’re ahead. You got two innings where he didn’t blow the game. Take it and run. You’ve got the arms. With the power that Toronto has, a quick lead is not out of reach. Leave it to Gregg to blow. But no. Blame Brian Tallet. And Cito. Again.

NEXT ON THE DOCKET…

The other Hill makes his second start for the Jays tonight in Camden Yards. I cant say I was impressed with his last start (uhm, at all) but it certainly wasn’t Rzepczyski-esque. We’ll see what happens. I’ll be tweeting the game, make sure you follow me for all the updates, commentary and rude remarks. Lineups coming atchya. Go Jays.

The Escobomber had another bunt single, home run, and ended up getting hit in the hand trying to bunt again later on. What is there to say about this kid? He knows how to make fans.

And than there’s Kevin Gregg. Two nights ago, you have some nastly control issuses and walk the bases loaded on the Orioles in the ninth inning and when Cito pulls you, you get all huffy-puffy.

Grow up!

It’s to prevent you from pulling the same crap you pulled Monday night. You went into the inning with a lead, promptly gave up two runs, and left the game with the Kansas City Royals storming the field celebrating their comeback win.

I told ya so?

Also thought I should note that Monday night, Jays prospect JP Arencibia his his 28th home run to lead all of baseball.

Can you say ON FIRE?

Can you imagine if he was in Toronto with success like that? Where would this team be, right now?

His average with PCL Las Vegas is .321 with a slugging percentage of .673 (!) and an OPS of 1.046. He has 28 homers, 71 RBI’s and 28 doubles in 81 games. Monday night’s MVP is a split between JP and the Yuni Bomber.

And on to last nights game…

This is more like it, espacially against Kansas City. Toronto routed them 13-1 after pounding out 16 hits including a pair of homers.

Jose Bautista launched his (fricking MONSTER) MLB-leading 26th and Lind hit his 13th to extend his streak to 13 games.

And Aaron Hill is above the Mendoza Line! Who called it, biatchhhhh?!

But unfortunately, Escobar wasnt in the lineup because he hurt his hand trying to bunt the other day. Sigh.

So yeah, Scrabble takes the mound tonight against Kansas City. Looking for the series win. I’ll be tweeting. Go Jays.

If you know me at all, you know two things. I love the Blue Jays…and I reeeally hate the Yankees. If you’ve seen my Facebook at times you know that I can get pretty heated when the Yankees do something. I’ve always said they’re pretty good at just pissing me off.

There’s a couple reason I hate the Yankees…and its not just because I’m a fan of a team in the same division and they are generally more successful than the Jays (and it pains me to say that).

Lets get this straight…the Yankees buy their team, their wins, their championchips and in a large part, their fans.

Sure, its allowed and the ultimate goal is to get wins. But, come on. For anyone that isn’t a Yankees fan, it sucks!

Should the outcome of a pennant race be allowed to be determined by which team pays more for their players? Why dont we just take an actual pennant, write “World Champions 2010” on it, stick it on eBay and let the GM’s start the bidding war? Whoever pays the most for it is the best team.

Believe it or not, some people believe that baseball would look exactly the same with a salary cap. Are you fricking kidding me?! If that Yankees were’nt allowed to spend over 206 MILLION dollars (2010 payroll), they obviously would not have all the big name players that they purchased. What would happen to those players? Well if they Yankees were’nt there to outbid everyone, maybe they could’ve gone to other teams.

The average player salary would most likely decrease at the same time, but do we really need one single player making 33 million dollars? The top four highest paid playes in baseball are Yankees. This prestigous group is lead by none other than the bahemoth salary of Alex Rodriguez, who in 2007 made more that the entire Florida Marlins baseball team…thats every fricking player on that team combined!

Without payrolls like the Yankees, baseball would be much more balanced, more competative and more enjoyable to watch. what would you rather see? Two fairly evenly balanced team locked in a race for the division or one steamroller team destroying everything in its path because they baught the all-star team?

This year, the Yankees salary is more that 43 million dollars MORE than the next lowest salary, the Red Sox (which, still, isnt that great). Thats enough to buy almost three Roy Halladays (more if you’re looking at his sayary with the Jays).

Who thinks Stephen Strasburg will REALLY be the future of the Nationals? I dont. I think he’s there temporarily until the Yankees offer him more money and whatever other ******** they say to entice players. Are the Nationals really going to have the money to keep him? No, they’re not.

It’s an endless cycle, too. Part of it lies in the simple fact that the Yankees are one of the oldest teams in baseball. They’ve won a lot of games over the past 100+ years and got a lot of fans. With fans comes money. With money comes better players and with better players comes more wins and more championchips…which leads to more fans, more money, more wins…

I’ve always been a fan of seeing players progress through the minors and stay with their parent team throughout most of their career. Thats why Roy Halladay had so many fans in Toronto, including myself.

I’ve always been a fan of good games, as I’m sure most fans of any sport are.

I’ve always been a fan of fair competition, where everyone is on a level playing field and where just because one team has more money, it doesnt mean they’re an automatic favorite to win the World Series.

I know a lot of people hate me for this, but it’s alright. Living in New York and hating the Yankees almost as much as you like a foreign team is fircking awesome. I have a blast. Mosy of my family are Yankees fans. So go ahead and argue with me. I’ve been doing it for a long time. Yankees suck.

“Yankee Haters Unite” is something a friend of mine came up with. We’re both hugeYankee-haters and whenever I need to drain with Yankee raleted stuff, I go to her. Shoutout to Kristen! Anyway, this is something I plan on doing every once in a while. Maybe regularly, eventually. Weekly? Bi-weekly? What do you think? Comment!

I dont think there is a whole lot TO say. The Jays roughed up those other birds to get a 10-1 win and a sweep. Toronto is now 9-0 vs the Orioles this season. Thats the first time Toronto has won its first 9 games vs any opponant during any season. That being said, I think thats more of a testament to the Oriole’s skill level than it is to the Jays. Nice stat tho.

The undisputed MVP for yesterdays game was the nw guy, Yunel Escobar, who is fast wearing out that title. He was 3 for 4 yesterday with his first home run and Toronto’s first grand slam, 5 RBI’s and two runs scored. I like this kid! As far as I’ve heard, hes already making a lot of fans in Toronto and justifyably. I officially coined a new nickname for Escobar yesterday. He is…the Yuni-Bomber. Get it? Well, whatever, I like it. Go Yuni-Bomber!

I wanted to wait to post about what I did during Saturday’s game in Baltimore. We were in Baltimore vacationing so my mom and aunt passed that on to a few people in the Toronto camp that knew my uncle…namely Jerry Howarth, who was very good friends with him. I got to do a few things the casual fan couldnt have done. My dad and I got a few press passes to go on the field during BP. Jerry took us down to chat witha few people in the dugout and behind home plate. Cito was down in the dugout chatting with a few people. He was the hitting coach and later the manager when my uncle was pitching so Jerry took us over to meet him. I should add that Cito is a lot bigger than you would expect! I shook his hand and we chatted with him and Buck Martinez (who played and broadcasted with my uncle), Pat Tabler (who broadcasted with my uncle), Jose Bautista (who didnt know my uncle, but I met him and shook his hand!), Ron Sandelli (who knew my uncle as a broadcaster) and a few others.

We went up to the booth with Jerry and Alan Ashby for a few innings later on in the game to watch the masters at work. It was especially cool because thats who I listen to at home because I dont get Rogers. We chatted with them and Tom Young, the producer (who also knew my uncle as a broadcaster), and finally went back down to watch the Jays finish off the O’s.

Anyway, whoever we talked to, the conversations usually came back to my uncle. cito assured me that he and everyone there miss him. Tom Young told us about how he used to stop by the booth during broadcasts and silently say “good job” than run back to his own booth. Golf was also a big topic. A lot of people may not know that my uncle was a very avid and very good golfer. Most of the people I talked to, including Cito, Buck, Ron and Jerry had all golfed with him. Cito laughed about how far he could hit the ball and Ron joked about a story that was very smilar to the one my dad just told him about my uncle golfing with Roger Clemens (which I can get to on another day – remind me).

It was an amazing experience and something that I am extremely lucky to have had, expecially as a Jays fan. Hopefully thats not the last thing I get to do like that. Thanks to everyone to helped me out and who talked to me!